Beet topper



Aug. 5, 1952 TOFT 2,605,601

BEET TOPPER Filed March 11, 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 40 Fig 4 Ho ward L. To fr g- 5, 1952 H. L. TOFT 2,605,601

BEET TOPPER Filed March 11, 1949 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 In Ventor Howard L. Toff Patented Aug. 5, 1952 f 2 Claims, (c1. a e-121.4)"

.'This invention relates to new and useful improvements in beet toppers and has for its object to provide a simply andlinexpensively constructeddevice for splitting and-cutting the-tops of beets before the beets are lifted fromthe ground.

Another importantobject of this invention'is to provide a beet crown cutter or topper that may be easily adjusted for slicing the beets at a desired point and which may be easily mounted as an attachment on any'type of harvestingmachine orthelike. i 1 1 Yet a further important object of this invention is to provide a device that willbe yieldably mounted. in such a mannerso that it will automatically. adjust itself to the uneven contour of theg'ro'und and to various heights of the growing beetsland which during such adjustment-will not change the desired angle or' pitch of the blade.

These and ancillary objects and structural features of merit are attained by this invention, the preferred embodiment of which is set forth in the following description and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a beet topper constructed in accordance with the principles of the instant invention; I

Figure 2 is a side elevational view thereof drawn to a smaller scale and showing the invention in adjusted position in dotted lines;

Figure 3 is a top plan view drawn to a smaller I scale;

substantially on line 4-4 of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially on line 5-5 of Figure 4, looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Figure 6 is a view in perspective of the blade.

Referring now more particularlyto the drawings, this invention, designated generally by the reference character to, consists of a blade l2, having a bevelled or inclined cutting edge Hi. The blade [2 is adapted to travel along a row of plants parallel to the ground, as seen in Figure '2, with the cutting edge [4 carried in cutting contact with a row of longitudinally aligned beets IS. The blade is formed with an integral upright lateral attaching flange l8, which is provided witha pair of elongated parallel slots 20 and 22. A substantially L-shaped bracket 24 is provided on top of a shield 28, presently described, and the flange l8 is adjustably aifixed to said bracket 24 by conventional fastening members 26 slidably disposed in the slots 20 and 22, whereby the blade may be raised and lowered and positioned at thezdesired point withrespect to the ground. The bracket 24 is formed integral with the shield 28, which includes anupwardly extending con-- cavo-convex portion 30 having parallel reinforcing ribs 32 disposed longitudinally on .the upper face thereof. A rearwardly andsubstantially horizontally disposed trailing edge :34 is formed integrally on the shield and is positioned slightly in advance andabove the blade. l2. The shield 28 is providedto prevent-various obstructions Howevenit is to be noted that the: shield and;

especially the trailingledge 34 thereof are spaced upwardly fromthe blade [2 so as-to clear the tops of the beets and thus not interfere with the cutting of the beet tops by the blade. A vertically disposed. bar, .36 isformed integrally withthe shield and extends upwardly from the trailing edge 34 thereof. The bar supports the blade in a yielding manner so that the blade may freely move upwardly and automatically adjust itself to the heights of different beets above the ground surface and to the uneven contour of the ground.

The bar 35 is slidably disposed between a pair of plates 38 and 40. The plates are held together in a spaced manner by fastening means 42. The fastening means include bolts 44 which are, inserted transversely through the plates and provided with nuts 46 spaced on the plates by washers 48. Upper and lowerpairs of rollers 56, 58 are rotatably supported on bushings or sleeves 52 concentrically disposed on the shank of'the bolts between the opposing inner faces of the plates and the rollers 56, 58 are spaced from the plates by spacing washers 54.

Thus, as seen in Figures 4 and 5, the bar 36 is slidably disposed between an upper pair of spaced horizontally aligned rollers 56 and a lower pair of horizontally aligned and spaced rollers 58, the latter pair being disposed in vertical alignment with the upper pair.

Means is provided for resiliently retaining the blade in its lowered position and for yieldably holding the blade to permit the same to slice the beets at the desired point. The means preferably includesa pair of springs 60 and 62 which are disposed on opposite sides of the bar and secured at the upper edge thereof by a transversely disposed bolt and nut assembly 64. The lower ends of the springs are secured in perforated ears 66 which are formed integrally on the outer faces of the plates 38 and 40 and disposed at the lower end thereof. An L-shaped bracket 68 is formed integrally with the plate 40 and the vertical leg bracket 80 and is adapted to bear against the ver-,

tical leg 10 of the bracket 68 and frictionally retain said leg in the desired position.

Thus, it can be seen that the beet topping at- 4 other types of cutting operations, or another implement could be substituted for the blade 12, such as a rake or the like or other agricultural operation.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A beet topper adapted to be carried forwardly over the ground by a vehicle comprising an upwardly and forwardly extending shield for riding over the beet tops having a concavoaconvex portion with the concave side facing the ground, said shield having a trailing horizontal edge portion,

tachment can be easily secured to any type of machine or implement carrier and the attaching bracket 68 can be adjustably attached to the machine so as to position the blade I2 at the desired distance from the ground. It is to be noted that, as the device is drawn over the ground, the blade [2 will easily remove the beat tops; the: blade folq lowingv the: runner blade, 34 and slicing the beets at the desired point. Of course, it can be seen that the. bar 36v will move upwardly in the track-'- way defined by the pairfofcomplementary rollers to automatically adjust itself. to the' various heights of the beets and the imeverc contour of the ground, the movement of the bar 316' beingrespon, sivei to the engagement of: the beet tops by the forward blade'or runner blade 34.1 Of course; the movement of the'bar'tfi, inits vertically reciprocal path, will not alter the angle: of the blade l2 and, therefore, the beet tops will be cut. in the: same manner as the blade is' moved over the longitudinal row ofibeets. r

It is" to be apparent that-said device can: be:

\ easily used for. otheri operations; including various a: bar upstanding from said trailing edge portion an formed integrally therewith, a beet topper blade having a cutting edge, means mounting said blade" on saidshield below the same with the cutting edge/forwardly and parallel with said trailing edge comprising a bracket on top of said shield extending rearwardly therefrom, and an end or lower the cutting. edge 

